


In the Public Eye

by ddagent



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Actors, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Philinda AU Challenge, Philinda AU Lights Camera Action Challenge, Press and Tabloids, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-20
Updated: 2015-06-20
Packaged: 2018-04-05 07:50:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4171797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ddagent/pseuds/ddagent
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After much speculation, actors Phil and Melinda are finally together. But they want to keep their relationship secret for just a little while longer. For the 'Lights, Camera, Action' challenge at Philinda AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In the Public Eye

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Agents of SHIELD or any of its characters, or settings - all belongs to Marvel and ABC.
> 
> I really liked the energy of this story, it was a lot of fun to write. I have a couple of ideas of stories in and around this universe if it's something people would like revisited. Happy reading!

Phil Coulson had been an actor since he was eighteen years old. He’d just finished high school when he’d been cast in his feature film debut; a truly _dreadful_ flick about teenage spies. A lot of his fellow cast members were unknowns; the adult cast members bringing the big names. On the first day of shooting, one of the cockier actors had started pushing them around. One kid fought back, breaking their nose. As he gave her an ice pack for her hand, Phil found out her name was Melinda May.

 

Thirty years later, and Melinda May was sleeping on his side of the bed, hand resting beside her face on his pillow.

 

Her eyelids fluttered open, beautiful dark eyes coming into view. Melinda smiled sleepily at him, shifting her body to sit against the headboard. She pulled the sheet up over her naked form, smiling sheepishly at him. “Morning,” Melinda said, wetting her lips. “What time is it?”

 

“Still early. I couldn’t sleep.” That comment earned another smile. “I made some tea. Did you want some breakfast? I could make you breakfast.”

 

Melinda nodded. “Breakfast would be good. And a shower, if I could?”

 

“Of course. You know where it is. Pancakes okay with you?”

 

“Perfect.”

 

Phil watched Melinda wrap the sheet around her body and walk to the adjacent bathroom. She gave him another bright smile before disappearing out of view. Heart practically leaping out of his chest, Phil left his bedroom for the kitchen. He hummed as he prepared the ingredients for pancakes. One stack with blueberries, another with chocolate chips. Maybe he’d even make some bacon to go with them. Phil couldn’t think straight. All he could think about was Melinda. _His girlfriend._

 

His head was still a jumble when he heard her light footfalls on the stairs. Her hair was wet, clinging to the side of her face. She was wearing the shorts from her gym bag, and one of the t-shirts from his drawer. As she joined him at the kitchen table, Phil tried to get everything ready. Pancakes, cutlery. He poured her a glass of juice, bottle shaking against the rim. A cup of tea, just how she liked it. _Maple syrup, where was the damn syrup?_

 

“Phil, _stop._ Breathe _._ ” Melinda took his wandering hands and held them within hers. He took a deep breath. “Not everything has to be perfect.”

 

“It’s our first breakfast together.” Phil flushed. He was suddenly eighteen years old again, seeing Melinda’s smile for the very first time. “I want things to be perfect.”

 

Melinda pressed her hands against his arms, squeezing reassuringly. “It _is_ perfect. Waking up with you is perfect. I don’t need anything else. ”

 

Beaming, Phil leant down to kiss her. He hesitated, lips not quite closing against her mouth. It was Melinda who made the final push, pressing her lips to his. It was still so strange to kiss Melinda in real life. To hear her gasp and sigh, to feel the pressure of her mouth against his without a hundred other people watching. They’d shared a few real kisses back on the set of _S.H.I.E.L.D_ , but after becoming best friends any romantic intimacy had faded into something platonic. That was until the night they’d wrapped their new movie. A couple of glasses of wine, a _long_ nostalgic talk…a _kiss_.

 

As they parted, Melinda’s lips lingered close to his. “We should eat before it gets cold.”

 

“I don’t care. I’ll make us a fresh batch.”

 

Melinda laughed, pulling away to enjoy the pancakes he’d made her. As Phil joined her at the kitchen table, he reached out to hold her hand. He’d eat one handed for the rest of his life if it meant he could hold her, touch her. He was still in dreamland. _He and Melinda were together._

 

“Got anything nice planned for today?” Phil asked; thumb brushing over the back of Melinda’s hand as he ate little of his pancakes. His stomach was churning too much to eat.

 

She shrugged. “Not much. I have a meeting with the stunt co-ordinator for the new season of _Safe House._ Maria wants to talk with us about press for the new movie.”

 

Phil nodded. “You free tomorrow afternoon? We’ll go over together. We’ll have to brief her about _us_ anyway.”

 

“Well, we will eventually.” Phil looked up from where he was soaking his pancakes in maple syrup. “We share so much of our lives with the cameras; I want a little time just you and me. Is that okay?”

 

 _Of course it was okay_. Both of them had been burned by the media, Melinda especially. Her relationship with Andrew had been splashed over the tabloids from day one as Melinda got involved with the doctor who had treated her after a stunt went wrong. They’d been a great couple, had a great marriage. But like Phil’s own relationships, eventually life in the public eye ruined everything. Phil was more than happy to wait.

 

“Absolutely. It’ll be nice to keep things just _us_.” Phil lifted Melinda’s hand to his mouth, brushing his lips against her knuckles. “Am I being sappy? Tell me if I’m being too sappy?”

 

“Phil, I’ve known you for thirty years. It’s no surprise to me that you’re a romantic. Or a dork.” Melinda dropped her fork and reached over to take his other hand. “I usually just get to hear about your romantic gestures. I’m a little excited to be on the other side of it.”

 

He leant in for another kiss, taking his time to taste the syrup clinging to Melinda’s bottom lip. He didn’t ever want to stop kissing her; didn’t ever want to stop touching her. _He was in love with her._ He whispered that against her mouth as he pulled away. She whispered the same against the curve of his neck as they embraced. In the movies, such moments were grand and romantic (usually in the pouring rain). In real life, it was soft and quiet. That’s how Phil knew it was real.

 

\--

 

“Okay, so we’ve got the premiere of _Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D._ in two weeks, and we’ve got press interviews the week before,” Maria explained, flicking across her tablet to bring up their schedule. “We’ve also got some press planned for _Safe House_ and _Pentagon Family._ Before we get into that, is there anything you two would like to tell me?”

 

Phil stiffened, looking over his coffee cup to stare at Maria. Maria Hill had been their agent for years, taking over their representation when Nick Fury had left the business. They’d been friends for a long time, but that didn’t stop Maria looking at them like they were in deep, _deep_ trouble. Phil glanced towards Melinda, who looked completely calm. She spoke first. “About what?”

 

Maria turned her tablet around to show an article from one of the gossip sites Phil _loathed._ This one had done a background check on his former girlfriend Audrey, bringing up the psycho that had stalked her before they met onto the front page of every news site and onto every Facebook feed in the country. The fact that there were pictures of him and Melinda outside his home did not surprise him. But it made him seethe at the invasion of his privacy once again.

 

“Really? You’re putting your faith in _that_ website?” Melinda huffed, taking a sip of her green tea before putting the cup back to the table. “Their copy is made up to match the pictures they shoot.”

 

“Yeah, well, they have pictures of you leaving Phil’s house before nine in the morning.” Maria closed the tablet, leaning over conspiratorially. “Listen, I’m not mad. I’d even be happy for the two of you. I just need to know what’s going on so I can prepare for any fallout.”

 

Phil leaned back, arm resting across the back of Melinda’s chair. He looked once more at his best friend – _his girlfriend_ – but she was still calm. He decided to stick to the party line. “There’s nothing going on between me and Melinda. You know how many rumours we’ve dealt with over the past thirty years? That _site_ is _garbage_.”

 

His body tensed, remembering all the fake stories they’d generated and all the happy memories that had been tarnished as a result. Phil felt a hand press against his thigh, rubbing it softly to calm him. He felt his body unwind. Melinda had always had that power over him. He’d always appreciated that.

 

“Okay, _okay._ Just please be more careful, guys? With the remake of _S.H.I.E.L.D._ coming out, everyone is looking at you. So try and be discreet. Even if you’re just having pizza and beer, _please_ be discreet!”

 

Melinda nodded once, picking up her cup again. “Of course. Now, can we get on with business?”

 

Maria began to detail their schedules for the next month. It was always heavy right before a release, but this seemed extra intense. Phil was starting to think he’d only see Melinda at scheduled work events. Eventually Maria let them go, eyes narrowing as if she didn’t quite believe them. As much as Phil disliked lying to Maria, he did enjoy having Melinda all to himself.

In the empty elevator, Phil subtly reached for Melinda’s hand. “I missed you this morning.”

 

“Me too.” She bowed her head, fingers tightening around his. “Maybe tonight I could come over? You could make dinner and we could talk. _Kiss._ A little more talk.”

 

He grinned. “I’ll make spaghetti.”

 

The elevator slowed, the doors opening on another floor. A couple of executives gave them a nod, continuing their own conversation as the elevator descended. Phil and Melinda pressed themselves against the back wall, Phil’s hand resting on the small of her back. The elevator took them down a few floors before the two men got off. As the doors closed once again, he turned to Melinda. She’d slipped closer; so close he could almost feel the buttons of her shirt against the fabric of his tee.

 

“The story Maria showed us… you’re not regretting us, are you?”

 

Melinda shook her head. “Not for a moment. I don’t give a damn about the press. The only thing I care about right now is you.”

 

Heart pounding in his chest, Phil leant in for a kiss just as the elevator started to slow.

 

\--

 

The first time they were photographed together post _getting together_ was at Clint’s birthday dinner. Phil and Melinda had known Clint for years, ever since they’d worked on an action miniseries for NBC. This would _technically_ be their first time out as a couple, so a lot of planning went into the evening. Their outfit choices, how they would arrive, how they would be seated at the table: everything was discussed. It was exhausting, and in the end they’d just made out on Melinda’s couch.

 

On the night they arrived separately, Phil getting to the restaurant first. He noticed a few photographers outside, their cameras at the ready. He gave a few waves, trying not to wonder whether any of them had photographed Melinda leaving his house. Instead he just went inside, finding Clint and the rest of their friends in the back room.

 

“Hey everyone!” Phil kissed Clint’s wife Natasha on the cheek before sitting beside the birthday boy. “Nice welcoming committee outside.”

 

Clint wrinkled his nose, but a smile brightened his features as Phil passed him his gift. “Comes with the territory. But since I nearly caught one of them with a bow and arrow, they’ve pretty much left me alone.”

 

Their group laughed; the few newcomers, Bobbi’s girlfriend Jemma especially, asking to hear the story. The photographer had tried to get snaps of Clint training for an action adventure movie where he was a Robin Hood type figure. _It was an accident,_ Clint said, but the laughter around the table suggested no one believed him. As everyone fell into their own conversations, Clint turned to him.

 

“So where’s Melinda?”

 

Phil felt his back straighten. _He couldn’t know, could he?_ “I don’t know. She said she’d be here.”

 

Clint eyed him strangely, brushing off his answer as he reached for his beer. “Yeah, I know. But you always come together. You haven’t had a fight, have you? Trouble before your big premiere?”

 

“No, nothing like that. Melinda just had a thing before the party and she decided to take a cab without me.”

 

His friend’s eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. After a couple of beats Clint got into a conversation with Steve, Maria’s fiancé. Phil made small talk with Bobbi until their final guest arrived. Melinda pushed open the sliding doors of the back room, greeting everyone with a smile. Phil just sat and watched, bottom lip slightly open, as he stared at the woman he loved. She took his breath away _._ He didn’t think he’d ever seen her look so beautiful.

 

“Sorry I’m late. Happy birthday Clint!”

 

“Thank you, Melinda!” Clint grinned across the table. “Why doesn’t everyone move round, then Melinda can sit next to Phil?”

 

They had planned for Melinda to sit just across from Phil so as to not draw any unnecessary attention. But Clint was right. They _always_ came together, they _always_ sat together. Phil was sure that if they announced to their friends right now they were seeing each other, no one would be surprised. But they weren’t quite ready yet. As Melinda sat down he offered her a smile, feeling sad that he couldn’t share in the joys of the other couples seated. No kisses to her cheek, no clutching her hand. _One day._

 

“So, you two all set for your big premiere?” Clint asked as the waiters came around with menus.

 

Melinda groaned. She loved acting, hated the press. “Got to get through thirty interviews before that. If I’m asked another diet question I think I’ll nail someone’s foot to the floor.”

 

Bobbi and Natasha commiserated, both of them sharing their own tales of ridiculous questions. Phil just sat back, sipping his wine, watching his girlfriend. Melinda was quiet, but when she got talking…she was so passionate, so vibrant. It was hard not to watch her, not to fall in love with her. After a while he noticed a pair of eyes on him, and Phil turned to see Clint. His friend was grinning, his jaw resting on his hand as he watched Phil.

 

“Everything okay?” Melinda whispered as the conversation changed and Clint’s gaze was needed elsewhere.

 

Phil nodded. “It’s fine. Clint just suspects is all.”

 

Melinda took a small sip of her wine. She looked like she was focussed on the conversation but Phil knew that she was engaged with him. “Maybe if you didn’t stare so much.”

 

“Can’t help it,” Phil said as he leant over to grab the butter for a slice of bread. “You look beautiful tonight.”

 

His comment made his usually impassive girlfriend smile into the rim of her wine glass. If any of their friends sitting around the table noticed anything, they didn’t say so. After dinner wound down, they all filtered out through the front door. They kept their hands to themselves; Phil didn’t take Melinda’s arm like he wanted to. He caught a cab home alone. But when he stepped inside his apartment, he found Melinda’s dress on the welcome mat.

 

“Honey, I’m home.”

 

\--

 

Phil hated the gossip sites; the cheap tabloids with their grainy photographs. But since he and Melinda had got together, he’d spent more time than he cared to admit surfing them. He just wanted to know if they’d caught on. There had been the article about Melinda leaving his house in the early hours, which their rep had strongly denied. There had been two small sentences about them in an article about Clint’s birthday, but thankfully no speculation.

 

Phil was relieved. He liked the time they spent together, and the knowledge that they didn’t have to deal with any more tabloid speculation was a great boon. They could just be _them._ Of course, it wasn’t to last. Two days before the premiere of _Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D,_ Phil checked the news feeds and felt his heart sink.  

 

_MELINDA MAY BACK WITH EX._

Swallowing, Phil reached over and clicked the link.

 

 _Academy nominee Melinda May has reportedly got back together with her ex-husband, Andrew Garner. The_ Safe House _star shared a cup of coffee with her ex yesterday, sparking rumours that the two are reconciling. The pair divorced after rumours circulated that May was having an affair with her_ Six Bullets _co-star Phil Coulson._

Phil quickly slammed down the lid of his laptop, not wanting to read any more. He sat back on his chair, fingers clasped against his temples. When Melinda came in half an hour later, using the key she’d always had, he was still in the same position.

 

“Phil? What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing. It’s nothing.” Phil picked himself up from the sofa and went to greet his girlfriend. He kissed her on the cheek, but as he pulled away he could still see the worry in her eyes. “I’m fine, just tired. All these interviews are wearing me down.”

 

Phil quickly brushed past Melinda into the kitchen. The sound of the refrigerator door must have corresponded with Melinda opening his laptop. For when he turned around, Melinda was staring at the story he had been reading.

 

“I can explain.” Melinda turned to him, lips fixed into a thin frown. “I’ve been keeping an eye on the news feed, seeing if there were any rumours about us. I thought it would be best to keep ahead of things.”

 

“That’s what we have Maria for.” Melinda pushed the laptop away. “She keeps an eye on potential trouble and lets us know.” She paused, hands resting in front of her body. “Is there something you want to ask me?”

 

Phil leant against the kitchen table. For the last half hour he’d been trying to put his feelings in order. He still wasn’t sure if he had. “There’s nothing to ask. I’m just tired of all this bullshit. I’m tired of the press making up lies about us, about who we care about.” He spread his hands wide, his voice weak. “When we tell the press, they’re going to think those old rumours were true. They’ll think we had an affair.”

 

“Which we didn’t.” Melinda joined Phil in the kitchen. She rested her hand over his, trying to reassure him with her touch. “Those stories hurt. _Really_ hurt. But Andrew didn’t believe them, not for a moment. And when I told him yesterday that we were together, he _still_ didn’t believe them.”

 

“You told Andrew?”

 

Melinda shrugged. “We ran into each other, we had coffee. He asked if I was seeing anyone. It seemed… _off_ to start lying to him now. He said we should come over for dinner with him and Helen. He also said that you still owe him money for a bet on a Knicks game.”

 

Phil forced out a harsh laugh, almost collapsing to the table. Melinda gave him a soft, sympathetic smile. Even when all those stories had come out, even when she’d been accused of cheating, Melinda had always been steady. Calm. She could play the game better than anyone Phil had ever met. She knew how to compartmentalise; how to separate Melinda the _star_ from Melinda the _person._ He’d never quite been able to do that for himself. For him, every lie broke his heart. 

 

“It’s going to be okay. Whatever crap they throw at us, we’ll fight it together. If they say we had an affair, then we’ll deal with it. If they start camping out on our front lawn, we’ll call Clint.” That made him smile. “I meant what I said last week. The only thing that matters is you. _I love you_ , Phil. I want to be with you. If we have to move to New York or a tiny cabin in the Australian Outback, I don’t care. I just want to be with you.”

 

 “I love you so much.”

 

“I know.” Phil stood up straight, reaching for Melinda. He held her close, arms wrapped around her front and his chin resting on her shoulder. She looked up at him, her dark eyes bright as she smiled. “Do you have a date to the premiere yet?”

 

Unsure of where she was going with her question, Phil just shook his head. “No, why? Do you?”

 

“No. I want to go with you. As a couple.” Phil’s bottom lip fell open, a perfect target for Melinda to steal a kiss. “I love my privacy, you know that. But I hate having to hide. We’re going to be under intense scrutiny for the next month anyway. Why not a little more?”

 

Phil though it over, a small smile slipping onto his face. He could hold her hand, take her arm. Kiss her softly. No more hiding, no more lying. Just him and Melinda. _Screw the rest of the world_. “It’s a date.”

 

\--

 

Premieres were supposed to be glamourous occasions: actors dressed in expensive suits and lavish dresses; camera bulbs flashing every which way. Phil had bought a new suit for their premiere, and Maria had got them a limousine so they could arrive in style. When Melinda left her home in a well cut blue dress, Phil couldn’t help but be stunned by her beauty. He’d thought she was beautiful on the night of Clint’s birthday. Tonight was something else.

 

“I will pay you five hundred dollars right now for a pair of _flats._ ”

 

Phil grinned as Melinda pushed past him to slide into the back seat. She’d said the same thing on the night of the _S.H.I.E.L.D_ premiere _._ His best friend was used to wearing tennis shoes, boots, or just going barefoot. Heels, although doing wonderful things for her legs, were not Melinda’s friend. So Phil just smiled at the memory, joined her in the back seat, and held out his hands for her shoes.

 

“You remembered.”

 

“Of course.” He smiled. “I remember us getting halfway up the red carpet and I was still holding your shoes.”

 

Melinda snorted. “I hated that night. All the damn lights; all the reporters asking questions. We weren’t allowed popcorn either.”

 

Phil laughed, sliding an arm around Melinda’s shoulder. She leant forward, her curls brushing the fabric of his jacket. “Well, maybe after tonight we can go back to my place and we can have some popcorn there.”

 

“I was thinking about a different ending for tonight.” Melinda played with the buttons of his shirt, teasing them out of their holes. “A _happier_ ending.”

 

Smirking, Phil leant down and brushed his lips against Melinda’s. They were soft, pliant. He could taste the slick of her lipstick and the lemon of her tea. He’d been to a million and one of these premieres; sometimes he had dates, sometimes he went solo. He’d never been so thrilled or so nervous sitting in the back seat, softly kissing his girlfriend until he heard the slight gasp of his name.

 

“Maybe we could take a detour,” Phil offered, his hand resting on the bare skin of Melinda’s calf. “Go to a quiet spot, collect our thoughts.”

 

Melinda rubbed his bottom lip, removing the stain of her lipstick from his skin. “You know I’d love that. But Maria would kill us. And just think…if we tell everyone tonight then at Steve’s barbecue this weekend we can be a couple.”

 

He would get to hold her hand, kiss her cheek. Wrap his arms around her waist. Get her drinks when she asked. He did that anyway, but this time he could come back and steal a kiss. Joy was building in his chest, pushing the nerves away. He felt Melinda’s fingers link through his, squeezing them tight. He could do anything with her by his side. _Even this_.

 

The journey to the premiere seemed to take forever, and yet it arrived all too quickly. The limousine pulled up, the driver turning around to give them a reassuring wink. Sucking in a breath, Phil looked through the window. Lines of eager fans taking pictures and wanting autographs. The press with microphones and cameras. As their moment approached, Phil turned back to Melinda.

 

“Whatever happens tonight, whatever happens in the future…I love you.”

 

“I love you too.” Melinda smiled, gesturing to his lap. “ _Shoes_.”

 

The moment of Phil sliding Melinda’s heels back onto her feet seemed to break the ice. Then, with no announcement whatsoever, the door to the limousine opened and Phil had to step outside. He came out, reaching across to do up his jacket before waving at the amassed crowds. The light was blinding, the noise overwhelming. Phil felt Melinda slip out behind him, stand by his side. He rested a hand lightly on her shoulder as they both waved to the crowds.

 

“Here we go.”

 

They were ushered along; camera flashes constantly going off in their faces. Melinda was full of grace, and Phil got caught up watching her work the crowd. They signed autographs, took silly selfies, talked to a few of their co-stars on the red carpet. Eventually they came together to do their first interview of the evening. Melinda stood on his left, his hand resting on the small of her back. He resisted the urge to kiss her, to wrap her up in his arms. _Not yet._

 

“So, I’m here with Phil Coulson and Melinda May, the stars of the reboot of _S.H.I.E.L.D._ Now, you two have been best friends for years, ever since the original, correct?”

 

Phil nodded, looking to his left to smile at Melinda. “Yeah, yeah, we met on the first day of filming and we’ve been inseparable ever since. We’ve done quite a few projects but the _S.H.I.E.L.D._ franchise is important to us.”

 

The reporter beamed. Phil’s hand tightened on the small of Melinda’s back, feeling the pressure in his chest tighten. _Here we go._ “So how did it feel going back to the franchise after thirty years? Was it strange, exciting? Like coming home? You’ve both done some amazing projects over the years. What was returning to this one like?”

 

“It felt right.”

 

“It did, it really did. I mean, on the set of the original we became best friends, and on the set of the remake…” Phil turned to Melinda, looking for confirmation that this was what she truly wanted. But the only thing he saw in her eyes was him. “And on the set of the remake we fell in love.”

 

The reporter’s jaw dropped, and she cleared her throat trying to collect herself. “You two are…together?”

 

Melinda nodded once, before looking up at Phil. “We are. People have been speculating about it for years but it’s never been true. Not till now.”

 

Phil couldn’t help himself.  He just had to kiss her. Melinda tensed for a moment, neither of them completely comfortable with public displays of affection. But he felt her hands tug at his jacket, felt her mouth relax under his. He was sure their picture would be on the front page of every gossip tabloid and news site within minutes. But Phil didn’t care. _All he saw was her._


End file.
